


Amazing Grace

by astorii



Series: You See, But Do Not Observe [1]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: AU, Gen, ShinRan Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-17 18:45:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13665039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astorii/pseuds/astorii
Summary: In which Shinichi is nine, fourteen, and sixteen.





	1. Age Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His name is Kudō Shinichi and he is nine-years-old.

His name is Kudō Shinichi and he is nine-years-old.

One day, he returns home, an influx of negativity in his wake as he slams the door behind him. The sound resonates in the large house as he makes his way upstairs. If any were to ask, he’ll deny that he stomped his way up the stairs like a petulant and sulking child in the midst of a tantrum. No, the way he moves seems more like a trudge, a drag-your-feet-on-the-ground slow walk.

As he continues up the stairs and down the hall, his arms are crossed with fingers digging into the skin on the other arm. His head is angled downwards, shadowing his face and hiding his features. Although, one can barely make out the way his top teeth are pulling on his bottom lip, biting as his lips slope downwards. As he nears his door, his slow walk builds up speed and then he enters his room, shutting the door behind himself and leaning against it with a harsh bite on his lips as his fists curl tightly.

It’s not long before he throws his book bag on the ground, not caring as the clasp opens and allows for the contents to spill out. Without anymore preamble, he climbs on his bed, barely kicking off his shoes. For a moment, he notices that he’s forgotten to change into house slippers at the front, but that thought falls to the back of his mind as he scoots closer to the wall with the fabric of his bed crumpling around him.

Shinichi falls back on his pillow, rubbing his eyes with such ferocity that one wouldn’t be surprised if they well up with tears. Although, perhaps that’s the reason for the brief vendetta against his lids. For some time, he doesn’t speak a word, choosing to turn over onto his back so that he may stare at the ceiling.

Then, he speaks.

“Tōichi-san,” he says, his voice soft and tired, seeming weightless. “What do you think I did wrong?”

Shinichi knows that he isn’t the nicest kid at school, but he also knows that he isn’t the meanest if not at all. Sure, he can be cocky and, yes, sometimes he does get carried away and will be under the impression that he’s better than the rest of his classes at times, but he isn’t _mean_. He can’t recall doing anything to warrant the silent treatment from any of the other kids or Ran and Sonoko. If it had only been a day, he wouldn’t mind that much, but it’s been almost a week and still none of his peers dare to speak to him.

What did he do wrong? Is this some sort of game where he’s missing the point? Or does everyone just suddenly hate him?

He must have done something wrong to them, but what?

“You did nothing, Shinichi-kun,” says the man named Tōichi. The little boy doesn’t see it, but the man gives a sympathetic smile. And, if the man could, he’d run his fingers through the little boy’s hair in a comforting manner. “They’ll come around, you’ll see.”

While delivered in a calm voice, the words held the opposite effect. Instead, Shinichi dared to wonder what would happen if the others didn’t come around and he didn’t dare say anything more. If not all of them, he’d at least wish for Ran and even Sonoko’s company once more. With a sigh, the boy sits up slowly, resting his chin on his knees as he brings his legs closer to his chest. His eyes are trained on the floor, glazing over as he focuses on a single spot.

Something tells him that he may not speak with his friends for a long time to come.

“Tōichi-san,” he says, his voice quiet. “What’s it like?” His eyes go wide as he flinches, biting his lip because he feels like he’s being rude and treading on waters he isn’t welcome on. “I-I mean, you don’t need to say anything. I was only—“

“—curious?” The man laughs, smiling down at the boy before settling his face into a serene kind of look. “Worry not, Shinichi-kun. My son is just like you.”

His son, huh? Shinichi tilts his head, momentarily forgetting his worries as he focuses on learning more about this person. He asks what Tōichi’s son is like. The man doesn’t reply for a few moments as his expression shifts into something else entirely. So, the little boy raises one brow, giving Tōichi an unimpressed look that mirrors the expression his own mother will often give.

“Tōichi-san, what’s he like? Can you tell me?” he asks, prodding a bit more. Shinichi reaches out, only to halt when a persistent knocking occurs at his door, startling him. He looks over, looking over to the door. “Ha-hai?”

The singsong voice of his mother floats through, reaching Shinichi’s ears. “Shin-chan?” she says, her voice lilting as though his name is a sweet song. As she’s learned from the past, she doesn’t open his door. “Are you talking to someone? Is someone in there?”

His eyes slide over, focusing on the spot next to him; no longer is there a man. Now, he’s just sitting on his bed and alone in his room. Shinichi tells her as much, assuring her that there’s no one in here. With a forced laugh, he just says he was talking to himself. She doesn’t say anything for a moment, but then she just tells him that they’ll be going out for dinner later.

Shinichi moves off of his bed, fixing it up even though he could care less. Silently, he changes his clothes out of the short-sleeved school uniform he’s required to wear. Then, he leaves his room, ambling downstairs where the library happens to be because that’s the safest place on this earth. It seems, to him, that books will be his only company aside from that of his exasperating parents and that man in white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo. This is going to be a small fic that will contain less than ten chapters as it’s only the beginning.
> 
> Here’s my take on an AU in which Shinichi’s able to see a bit more than the usual person. ;)
> 
> So, Shinichi will be somewhat OOC in this fic what with the circumstances. Don’t mind him.


	2. Age Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinichi is fourteen when his childhood friend speaks to him for the first time since age nine.

Kudō Shinichi is fourteen-years-old when Ran speaks to him for the first time in years.

The day started out as it usually did: utterly mundane. Shinichi likes to have as much order in his life as possible given his odd circumstances. He likes when things remain constant, which is hard to maintain because, again, given his odd circumstances. Today seemed normal, but perhaps the odd feeling in his chest should have hinted that something different would happen today.

At first, he wonders if his old friend is having some sort of episode that’s incapacitated her and left her standing in the doorway, staring at him? Shinichi frowns before returning his attention to packing up his things. He tends to take longer than necessary to miss the worst part of the traffic flow to the shoe lockers. After all, he wants to get home fast as well but he doesn’t want to be pushed around and touched by random students while trying to get his shoes.

Then, she approaches him, a determined gleam in her eyes. Seeing that look on her face makes him pack up just a tiny bit faster as though it’ll allow for a quick getaway. He doesn’t know what she wants, but he wants to avoid confrontation if that’s possible. Alas, his chance to escape runs away from him as she stops in front of his desk. He freezes, his hand hovering just above his notebook. Then, he clears his throat and carries on as though this isn’t awkward for him.

“Can I help you?” he asks, avoiding her name. Shinichi isn’t sure whether he’s still able to call her by her given name or if he has to further estrange them by saying her family name with a -san tacked on the end. Withholding a disappointed sigh, he slings his bag over his shoulder. He looks past her, seeing a student float past the door with a lost look on their face. Then, he turns his attention to her.

“Your parents called me,” says Ran, twirling a few stands of her hair as she slowly loses all of that bravado she seemed to previously exude. “They told me that they were leaving the country.”

“Yes, well, I don’t see why you’re talking to me,” he drawls, gripping the strap of his bag while averting his gaze to the floor. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

Ran frowns, her lip twisting downwards as the spark in her eyes comes to life again. She tells him that his parents wanted her to make sure that he took care of himself in their stead. She doesn’t deny that she hadn’t been speaking with Shinichi for the past five or so years, but she doesn’t look ashamed or embarrassed. Then, she asks if they can walk together because she wants to talk.

He bites his lip as a phantom weight settles on his shoulder. He knows without looking that there’s a hand there, miming an encouraging squeeze. Relenting, Shinichi agrees, swallowing down the feelings of confusion and quiet anger. After all, who does she think she is? She leaves him, doesn’t talk to him for years without explanation and then she expects them to suddenly walk together since his parents gave her the task of glorified babysitting?

Perhaps, he’s being silly. With a sigh through his nose, he does his best to let go of these emotions. There’s no point in being mad about something he doesn’t truly understand or something that’s happened in the past. Instead, he nods his head towards the door and they walk side-by-side for the first time since elementary school.

The walk is familiar. Somehow, they fall into their old routine and their old route. Now, the sun is already setting, coloring the sky with a starburst of orange and pink. Shinichi commits the picture of the sun over the horizon to memory.

“You skipped class a lot this week,” Ran says, looking his way. “Is everything okay?”

“A man needed my help,” Shinichi answers, not giving up so many details. “He had a case and I wanted to help him.”

“After all these years and you still play detective?”

Shinichi inhales a sharp intake of breath, looking away from her and over to the water where the sky’s reflection swims in glistening ripples. With a murmur, he says that he never was playing detective; it wasn’t a game to him and it isn’t now. She apologizes and they lapse into silence.

“I’m sorry.”

“Excuse me?” Shinichi turns to look at her, blinking out of curiousness. “You already said that.”

“Sonoko and I stopped talking to you because we thought you were weird,” Ran confesses, turning pink as she looks away. Her hands tighten on the straps of her schoolbag. “I was scared, too. You were always talking to yourself, but it sounded like you were talking to someone we couldn’t see. And, you know, being kids... we all thought that maybe you were talking to ghosts or something. I know, it doesn’t excuse our behavior, but by the time we realized how wrong we must be...”

Shinichi regards her with a blank face. He doesn’t know what to say, so he settles for making a noise between a hum and a huff. The space between them grows. Then, he falls behind, his eyes trained on a couple on the other side of the water.

 _Amazing Grace_ filters through the air as the woman stands at the edge of the water, singing. The breeze carries her voice, bringing it over to himself and Ran. The latter stops in her tracks, watching the woman as well; however, Shinichi is undoubtedly the only one to notice the man pressing a kiss to the top of the woman’s head.

The teen shakes himself back to reality, dutifully ignoring the scene in favor of brushing past Ran. He turns to face her, letting a small smile grace his features for a brief flitting moment. He asks if she’s coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite how it seems, this is not a ShinRan fic.


	3. Age Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinichi is sixteen when he turns seven.

Kudō Shinichi is sixteen when he realizes that amusement parks are as dangerous as they are overrated.

In all honesty, Shinichi would venture to say that he’s never actually been to a theme park. He’s under the impression that they’re a waste of time and money as they use colorful lights and fattening food and the promise of family-friendly fun to lure in patrons willing to splurge on nonsense rides and rigged games. To children, they may be fun, but he’s no child.

If not for Ran’s insistence, he would not be here at Tropical Land. Shinichi has insisted on not coming, claiming the idea to be a waste of time. Besides, there are so many people and it makes him uncomfortable; however, he tries his best to follow through on his promises, and he did promise his friend that he’ll take her out somewhere if she were to win the karate championship.

Lo and behold, she won the championship.

Don’t get him wrong, he’s proud of her. She had been fretting for days on end and only quelled her nerves with determined anger at the agreed proposal. Shinichi seldom hung out with her outside of school, so she was more than excited to be able to spend time with him outside of the usual educational setting. Apparently, he’s in dire need to human contact and needs a big push out of his comfort zone—so she says, at least. What she doesn’t know is that he (more or less) has enough human contact. Although, he can’t disagree with her on the fact he’s trapped inside his own personal boundaries.

For a moment, he thinks to lose her in the crowds. Her hand, however, is curled around his wrist and threatening to snap it in half should he even pause for a breather. She’s dragging him along, passing by every ride and stand, which he doesn’t get because he was under the impression that amusement parks mean splurging on rides and the like? He is, after all, paying for everything so there’s no reason for her to be acting stingy. Even if she is a bit proud, she doesn’t have any qualms about spending Shinichi’s money whenever he offers.

Then, he notices that she seems to have a destination in mind. He looks past her and sees a roller coaster. Shinichi frowns. He can’t recall ever being on one, but he knows that Ran is quite terrified of them. He remembers that one day she went to an amusement park with Sonoko on the heiress’ fifteenth birthday. The next day, she and her friend had been chattering about the date and Ran lamented about how scared she had been.

When they are close enough, Shinichi sees that the ride is dubbed the Mystery Coaster, which piques his interest. Will it hold more than the cheap pop-outs and badly-costumed talentless actors? They fall in line. The detective manages to catch a glimpse of three kids entering the ride through some dishonest entrance, but he doesn’t comment on it and only shakes his head. Then, when he returns his attention forward, he sees a girl’s skirt fly up in a sudden breeze. Wisely, he looks away, but not before catching odd marks on the girl’s legs.

“So, what do you think?” Ran asks, gesturing towards the ride. “It’s a mystery coaster. I figured you’d like it.”

“Depends on what is meant by mystery,” he responds, looking around. He doesn’t see much aside from the fluorescent-lighted insides of a fake cave. “I don’t suppose Holmes is involved?”

It’s a long-shot, he knows, but... there doesn’t seem to be much to the ride. Though, he supposes that his judgement isn’t fair when he has nothing to compare it to. His mental musings are interrupted when Ran points out a girl’s necklace. Shinichi realizes that it’s the same girl whose skirt flew up and he avoids looking at her out of sheer embarrassment at seeing her undergarments. He does notice the pearl necklace around her neck and he wonders why anyone would wear such a thing to an amusement park of all places.

Minutes later, the two board the ride. When it starts, Shinichi is thoroughly disappointed. Even at the sudden quote-unquote death drop he feels almost no excitement. Sure, he feels a little winded, but it isn’t that scary and it’s definitely not the most fun he’s ever had. Why, he’s had more fun reading an English dictionary.

Then, in the tunnel of pitch, Shinichi feels an odd wetness land on his forehead. And then, he heard the sound of metal against metal. When they leave, all he can do is look at the beheaded corpse sitting close to the front. Everyone screams. His eyes narrow.

When they’re on the ground again, the body is carefully moved when the police arrive. Shinichi retreats into the cave for a few minutes. When he returns, a killer is being named, but he knows that she’s being framed. Quickly, he steps in. With a deep breath, he plunges into his explanation.

He names the true culprit by pointing at her. The girl stutters, saying it can’t possibly be her as she neither had the knife nor the perfect position to kill the victim. Shinichi asks two things: where is her necklace and is she a gymnast.

Shinichi doesn’t need to do a demonstration. The way he weaves his words together is more than enough to be convincing. When he points out the horizontal tear stains on her face, the wet feeling in the tunnel, and a plethora of pearls with a bit of piano chord, she falls to her knees, admitting to the crime. As she’s taken away, he tells her to serve her time for she is still young.

He watches a man fade away with a relieved sob.

Later, he can only think of how he should have enjoyed himself more today because it feels like he’s dying.

(What if he dies?)

But then he doesn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this marks the end of Part I.


End file.
